Transcript Health and the Built Environment March 2008

Foundations for a Healthier Built
Environment
Date:
Presented to:
Presented by:
Foundations for a Healthier Built
Environment
WORKSHOP PURPOSE
- To build general awareness of the crossover between land use
planning and community health
- To build capacity to work more effectively with municipal and
regional planners to promote better land use decisions
Foundations for a Healthier Built
Environment
WORKSHOP RATIONALE
- Clear message from health professionals at a networking,
collaborating forum held in October 2007
- Increasing interest in Health and the Built Environment (HBE)
given rise of chronic diseases whose causes can be clearly
linked to and associated with land use decisions
Foundations for a Healthier Built
Environment
WORKSHOP AGENDA
1. Why?
-
Rationale for health professional involvement in land use planning
2. What/Who?
-
The planning process and the decision makers
3. How?
-
Tools and strategies
Urban Planning - Public Health:
historical roots
 Historically, public health and land use
planning were closely allied
 Disease prevention, sanitation, slum eradication
 Segregation of land uses into specified geographic
districts (Euclidian zoning)
 Post-war - injury and disease prevention
 Building permits and zoning for ventilation,
exposure to toxic substances, development, and
separating residences from industrial areas
Current Planning Trends
 Returning to “old fashioned” planning
approaches
 Emphasis on ‘community health and well-being’
 Recognition of connections between
development and quality of life
 New Urbanism
 Neo-traditional urban design movement
 Smart Growth
 ‘Healthy Community’ land use principles
Defining the “built environment”
Built Environment
“The surroundings that we have
created for our activities.”
 Scale of surroundings vary
 large-scale urban areas to rural
development and personal space
 Includes indoor and outdoor places
Many aspects
aspects of
of the
the built
Built Environment
Many
environment
affect population
Population Health
affect
health
Environmental
Pollution
Injury
Prevention
air and water quality
noise, heat
Housing
quality
affordability
Access and Inclusion
mental health & disability
arts & culture
Physical Activity
transportation
recreation
connectivity
Nutrition & Food Security
“Ripple Effect”
Adapted from Frank, Kavage, Litman (2006)
Asphalt nation
Environmental hazards
Rural sprawl
Schools on the fringe
Urban sprawl
Limited food security
Impacts: air quality
 Asthma is the most common chronic
childhood disease
 7% more asthma among kids living in
neighbourhoods with high traffic
pollution
 2X risk of asthma symptoms in 5-7year
olds living 250 feet or less from a
major road
 Leading cause of emergency room
visits for children in Canada
Smog day, Toronto
Source: Green Party of
Canada
Impacts: water
 Storm water runoff closes
public beaches and harms
environment
 Water shortages limit
recreational options,
create impacts in natural
areas and can limit other
healthy activities (e.g.,
community gardens)
Impacts: children and youth
 The rate of overweight Canadian
kids has nearly tripled since 1981
 National “inactivity level” in youth
averages 58% in BC
 Highly predictive – a “conveyor
belt” to being overweight or obese
as adults
 1 in 3 will be diabetic
 Average residents of pedestrian-
friendly places weigh 7lb less than
average resident in sprawling
neighbourhood
Impacts: injuries
 Cyclist - pedestrian fatalities
higher than driving
 Seniors and school kids
most vulnerable
 Road design - wide arterials
most dangerous
 Traffic calming - reducing
vehicle speed reduces risk
of pedestrian injury
Impacts: mental health
 Loneliness and isolation are toxic;
social relationships are healthy
 People with strong social
networks:
 Live longer;
 Have less heart disease;
 Are less depressed and use alcohol
and drugs less;
 Have fewer teen births;
 Are healthier overall.
 For every 10 minutes a person
spends in a daily car commute, time
spent in community activities falls by
10%
Health promotion approaches that focus only on
education about individual behaviour change have had
limited success.
Is it just about behaviour change?
Tackling the connection between the
Built Environment and Public Health
 Policy changes at the local level can be most effective
 Neighborhood environment one of the strongest
predictors of physically active lifestyles
 People want to live in places where they are able to
be active
 The economic benefits are also impressive
Rebuilding the connection between
Urban Planning and Public Health
 Built environment health care impacts threaten public
health and universal health care system
 Healthy lifestyle promotion is not enough -- the built
environment must be addressed as well
 Public health and planning share a responsibility to
modify the built environment and promote active
living
“Land-use decisions are just as much public
health decisions as are decisions about food
preparation. …We must measure the impact of
environmental decisions on real people, and we
must begin… to frame those decisions in light of
the well being of children, not only in this
country but across the globe.”
Richard Jackson
Director, National Center for Environmental Health
Centre for Disease Control (USA)
“Thus, a new role for public health leadership is
emerging… in three principal areas of action. The 1st is
to assess the health impact of land use and community
design options…. The 2nd is to catalyze and facilitate
inclusive partnerships with membership that stretches
far beyond traditional health field…. 3rd, public health
practitioners need to participate in policymaking on
issues related to the built environment.”
MJ Aboelata
The Built Environment and Health
The Prevention Institute: Oakland CA, 2004